Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a mitochondrial protein, which plays an important role in the caspase-independent apoptosis and has also an oxidoreductase function. The expression of AIF in uveal melanoma and its possible impact on patients` prognosis is unkonwn. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of AIF in uveal melanoma cells and to assess its predictive value.

We performed a retrospective study of 54 patients with choroidal or ciliary body melanoma treated surgically (enucleation, endoresection) at our clinic during the years 2001 - 2007. Patients` mortality was assessed to August 30^th 2012.  Immunohistochemical evaluation of AIF expression using polyclonal rabbit antibody in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded melanoma tissue was performed.

Histological samples of 49 patients were assessed. During the follow-up of 60 ± 36 months there was a significantly higher mortality in patients with ≥ 70% of immunopositive cells in the histological sample comparing to those with lower or none AIF expression (70,4% vs. 40,9%, P=0,038), while there was no significant difference in known conventional prognostic factors (mean age, tumor size or histopathological type of tumor) between the compared groups.

Our study shows that high level of AIF expression in uveal melanoma cells is associated with unfavourable prognosis. The role of AIF as a prognostic factor in uveal melanoma will need confirmation in larger and prospective studies.